Michigan Reading Journal Michigan Reading Journal

Volume 35 Issue 3 Article 6

April 2003

Poetry Performances in the Elementary Classroom Poetry Performances in the Elementary Classroom

Susanne Krehel

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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Krehel, Susanne (2003) "Poetry Performances in the Elementary Classroom," Michigan Reading Journal: Vol. 35 : Iss. 3 , Article 6. Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/mrj/vol35/iss3/6

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Poetry Performance in the Elementary Classroom Bv SusANNE KREHEL

oetry performance has long been applied as a form of entertainment within the arts. Alternatively, edu­cators have also employed poetry performance as an effective learning strategy-an interpretive reading tivity in which the performer uses his or her voice and animation to make the poem come alive for the

audience while reinforcing his or her own literacy. Poetry performance requires no props, scenery, costumes, or heavy action; the goal is simply to become effective in the delivery of the piece and develop meaningful and fluent reading (Strecker, Roser, & Martinez, 1998/1999).

The purpose of this article is to show that poetry perfor­mance in the elementary grades is an effective method that links oral and written language, aids in conceptual vocabulary development, enhances comprehension, and increases oral reading fluency. In addition, · this article will discuss ways to properly apply poetry performance within the elementary classroom.

Historical Background Just as a song is meant to be sung, poetry is meant to be performed (Lenz, 1992). Poetry in print is a relatively new idea. In ancient Greece, there were no printing presses, and, though there were books, they were very expensive and reserved for only the elite. Poems were rarely shared in print. During the time that the Roman Empire ruled Greece (27 B.C.-A.D. 14), educators augmented their teachings with regular poetry readings and poetry performance. The orators of Greece used poetry to relay important social and political messages in a more dramatic and eloquent manner. Much later in history, the poems of Shakespeare, Whitman, and oth­ers were performed orally, bards competed for prizes at festivals, and African jali (poet-musicians) performed

music and poetry for royal occasions (Zeitlin & Dar­gon, 1999).

Zeitlin and Dargon (1999) contend that the tradition of publicly performing poetry has been somewhat mar­ginalized, though present day contests such as "Poetry Slam" and freestyle rap, as well as performance organizations such as "Poetry Alive!" are beginning to gain popularity. Poetry as an explicit teaching strategy has maintained a steady, albeit supplemental role throughout modern time. Though the exact origin is not known, educators have employed drama throughout time, including poetry performance to reinforce and facilitate literacy.

Poetry Performance and Literacy Development Poetry performance particularly enhances conceptual vocabulary development, comprehension, and oral reading fluency-all critical elements ofliteracy devel­opment (Rupley, Nichols, & Logan, 1998/1999). The vast majority of a reader's vocabulary knowledge must be acquired through reading (May, 1998). Directly

Susanne Krehel has 12 years of teaching experience at the primary level. She holds an undergraduate degree in elementary education and a master of teaching degree in reading and language arts from Oakland University. Susanne is currently in her fourth year of teaching first grade at Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, and is a member of the International Reading Association.

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building children's vocabulary through isolated pre­sentation is effective for some words, but for many words learning them within context is better. With an extensive vocabulary knowledge base, the reader is better able to infer meaning of selected text. Nichols, Logan, and Rupley (1998/1999) note that when a reader can process the meaning of selected text with support from vocabulary knowledge, the formation of concepts and learning occurs.

In 1946, Edgar Dale developed a highly useful model of teaching vocabulary that is still used today. The model is called the "Cone of Experience." Dale's theory states that children learn most intensely through direct, purposeful experiences and least intensely

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and understanding within a social setting. Poetry per­formance is quite social in nature in that the performer interacts with peers as well as with the audience. Fur­ther, Piaget theorized that children learn best through "active discovery," wherein the activity includes multi-sensory and social interactions (Yokota, Temple, Naylor, & Martinez, 1998, p. 17).

Oral reading fluency is another critical element in literacy learning. Richards (2000) defines oral reading fluency as "the ability to project the natural pitch, stress and juncture of the spoken word on written text, automatically and at a natural rate" (Richards, 2000, p.534). Poetry performance also supports instruction in reading fluency. One of the ways that learners

through pure verbal experiences. Second to actual experiences are contrived or dramatized experiences, including poetry performance (Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1969, as cited in May, 1998).

By following a become fluent readers is by revisiting text (Dahl & Samuels, 1974; Dowhower, 1987; Retzel & Holoingsworth, 1993, cited in Richards, 2000). Martinez, Roser and Strecker (1998-2000) state that when preparing for a performance, students eagerly reread the text

Poetry performance is a dramatiza­tion experience that engages the students in language learning. With

few straightforward guidelines, elementary teachers can successfully apply poetry performance with very little dif.fic ulty

poetry performance the experience goes beyond the sheer verbal. Instead, the learners are placed in situa­tions that seem real (Falletta & Gasparro, 1994). When the poem is performed it helps to develop a sense of meaning and power in the words. Gasparro and Fallette ( 1994) maintain that poetry performance is a multi­sensory approach incorporating physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects, thus allowing the conceptual vocabulary development to be internalized with more intensity.

Poetry performance can also aid in developing another critical element of literacy-comprehension. Compre­hension is defined as understanding new information relative to what is already known. Researchers such as Graves (1983, cited in Danielson & Dauer, 1990) noted that comprehension is enhanced by creative dramatics, including poetry performance. Henderon and Shanker found that when students performed a selection, they were much more successful answering comprehension related questions than those students that only read it (Shanker & Henderson, 1978, cited in Danielson &

Dauer, 1990).

Further support for a poetry performance can be found in the theories of Vygotsky and Piaget. Vygotsky (1978) suggested that learners develop their language

numerous times to interpret mean­ing and assist in delivery. Dowhower (1987) found that second graders' repeated readings resulted in their considerable improvement in oral reading fluency and other areas of literacy. The oral reading fluency skill furthermore transferred to new, though similar text. That is to say, the children were able to read comparable text that they had never seen before with significant fluency improvement.

Research would suggest that poetry performance and other dramatic or multi-sensory activities reinforce the building blocks of literacy development as these strate­gies enhance conceptual vocabulary development, comprehension, and oral reading fluency. Finally, oral poetry is a said to be a powerful link between literature and spoken language as it helps to connect students' lives with the poetry read and performed at school (Buchoff, 1995; Lenz, 1992; Zeitlin & Dargon, 1999).

A Classroom Application By following a few straightforward guidelines, elementary teachers can successfully apply poetry performance with very little difficulty. In general, the teacher will select age- and interest-appropriate mate­rial, prepare the students, introduce the selection, and facilitate learning and rehearsal until the students are sufficiently prepared for successful performance.

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POETRY PERFORMANCE IN THE ELEMENTARY CLASSROOM

The following step-by-step lesson plan illustrates the requirements for successful execution. It is an adapta­tion of the teaching steps provided by Lenz (1992.) (Note: This is a 30-minute plan to be implemented over a 5-day period).

Step 1: Select the poem(s). For initial experiences with poetry performance use poems with which the children are familiar, such as nursery rhymes, lullabies, or jump rope rhymes. Children experience a sense of joy and success in the sounds of the familiar, rhythmic language and use what they hear to bridge the gap to written text. Also, when selecting poems you will want to consider students' language facility, instructional reading levels, ages, and interests. Further, in a study of poetry selection, Kutiper and Wilson (1993, as cited in Martinez et al., 1998) found the following.

• • •

•

•

Readers of all ages enjoyed narrative poetry .

Readers most disliked haiku and free verse .

Students preferred poems in which rhyme, rhythm, and sound were present.

Students preferred poems in which there were humor, familiar experiences, and animals.

Rather than the poets of great literary merit, students preferred the light and humorous poetry of Jack Prelutsky and Shel Silverstein.

Step 2. Display and read the poem. Having selected the poem ( or poems), display it on large chart paper or provide individual copies for each student. Model an effective, fluent oral reading of each poetry selection (Martinez et al., 1998/1999).

Step 3: Choral reading. Have students perform a choral reading of the poem. The goal is complete immersion in the poem, enjoying the language and images reflected through the words. (Little attention should be given to word recognition skills).

Step 4: Role selection. Here, the students select charac­ter roles if appropriate, given the poem.

Step 5: Rehearsal. In this step, the students rehearse their roles. They coach one another as they rehearse. (Make sure to teach effective coaching as a mini-lesson prior to beginning.)

Step 6: Mini-lessons. Now is the time when the teacher meets with the whole class to conduct mini-lessons on various aspects of performance, such as using voice, animation, pauses, and speed to reinforce and convey meanmg.

Step 7: Individual rehearsal. The students now rehearse individually, with each student directing his or her performance to a classroom wall. The student is free to be as dramatic as appropriate.

Step 8: Performance. Finally, the group performs in front of an audience of students, parents, school personnel, or other invited guests.

Step 9: Review. As a follow-up, record the production and view the video, serve cookies and juice, and dis­cuss the performances. The students may also write in journals to further reinforce the experience.

The teacher's role throughout the lesson is of course very important. It is advisable to first establish an atmosphere of cooperation and student participation. It is also important throughout to stimulate discussion and help the students to understand vocabulary, plot, and idioms. Finally, it is advisable to model and fre­quently reinforce the prosodic elements-punctuation, stress, expression, tone, pronunciation, and phrasing (Falletta & Gasparro, 1994).

Conclusion Poetry performance is an excellent strategy to promote literacy across various ages and abilities, from the gifted to the most reluctant, from preschool age children to adults. It offers rewarding reading experiences that lead to involvement, which is very important when "hooking" readers, especially early or poor readers (Honeyghan, 2000; Richards, 2000). This proven and effective method links oral and writ­ten language, aids in conceptual vocabulary develop­ment, enhances comprehension, and increases oral reading fluency. Perhaps most importantly, poetry performance offers elementary teachers an effective, fun, and engaging means of augmenting their reading curriculum.

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References Buchoff, R. (1995). Jump rope rhymes .. .in the

classroom? Childhood Education, 7(3), 149-151.

Danielson, K., & Dauer, S. (1990). Celebrating poetry through creative drama. Reading Horizons, 31(2), 138-48.

Dargan A., & Zeitlin S. (1999). The people's poetry gathering. Teachers and Writers, 30(4), 1-12.

Falletta, B., & Gasparro, M. (1994). Creating drama with poetry: Teaching English as a second language through dramatization and improvisation. (Report No. EDOFL0994). Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement. (ERIC Reproduction Service No. ED368214)

Lenz, L. (1992). Crossroads of literacy and orality: Reading poetry aloud. Language Arts, 8( 69), 597-603.

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Martinez, M., Roser, N., & Strecker, S. (1998/1999). "I never thought I could be a star": A readers theatre ticket to fluency. The Reading Teacher, 52(4), 326-334.

May, F. B. (1998). Reading as communication. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Martinez, M., Naylor, A., Temple, C., & Yokota, J. (1998). Children's books in children's hands an introduction to their literature. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Nichols, D., Logan, J.W., Rupley W.R. (1998/1999). Vocabulary instruction in a balanced reading program. The Reading Teacher, 52(4), 336-346.

Richards, M. (2000). Be a good detective: Solve the case of oral reading fluency. The Reading Teacher, 53(7), 534-539.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

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